Guillemots Uria aalge and razorbills Alca torda were the main seabird species killed in salmon Salmo salar bag nets in northeast Scotland in 1992, with guillemots out-numbering razorbills two- to three-fold. Sexually immature birds were more likely to become entangled compared with breeding adults, probably because they spend more time on the sea close inshore or have not learned to avoid nets. The total number of auks drowned in northeast Scotland in 1992 was estimated to be around 2400 (1700 guillemots, 700 razorbills). While these deaths are obviously to be regretted, our preliminary estimates suggested that losses were relatively small in relation to the total number of auks present in the area. Losses of breeding birds were estimated to represent